The Statue Scene

What I’ve done is rewrite the scene where King Triton destroys the statue of Eric. Well, in this scene the same thing will take place, however the stakes have changed. In THIS version, Ariel simply loves the statue. It’s not a human issue anymore – it goes deeper. I’ve put everyting I’ve added in the dialogue in caps. Ok. Here we go. Ariel-loves-stone.

SCENE

(Ariel giggles to herself swimming around Eric’s statue after saying “This is all so… so sudden” in a sultry voice.

We see King Triton eerily spying on his daughter fooling around with the statue. His face is shadowed, but we can still see his beard drift in the water.

Ariel notices her father. )

ARIEL. Daddy!

TRITON. I consider myself a reasonable merman. I set certain rules, LIKE FOR INSTANCE *NOT* FONDLING INANIMATE OBJECTS AS IF THEY WERE ALIVE, and I expect those rules to be obeyed.

ARIEL. But Daddy!-

TRITON. Is it true THAT YOU LOVE STONE THIS MUCH?

ARIEL. Daddy, I had to-

TRITON. Contact between the STONE world and the mer-world is strictly forbidden AND WEIRD! Ariel, you know that! Everyone knows that!

ARIEL. He would have JUST GONE DOWN WITH THE SHIP ANYWAY-

TRITON. One less SUNKEN SHIP to worry about!

ARIEL. You don’t even know him.

TRITON. Know him? I don’t have to know him BECAUSE HE’S NOT REALLY ALIVE! They’re all the same. Spineless, savage, harpooning, incapable of any feeling BECAUSE THEY’RE MADE OF STONE!

ARIEL. Daddy, I love him!
TRITON. No . . . Have you lost your senses completely? He’s a STATUE, you’re a mermaid!